Abtech Holdings (OTCMKTS: ABHD) and Advanced Emissions Solutions (NASDAQ:ADES) are both small-cap industrial products companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, valuation, profitability and institutional ownership.

Dividends

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Advanced Emissions Solutions pays an annual dividend of $1.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 10.2%. Abtech Holdings does not pay a dividend. Advanced Emissions Solutions pays out 22.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.2% of Abtech Holdings shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 68.8% of Advanced Emissions Solutions shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.6% of Abtech Holdings shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 8.5% of Advanced Emissions Solutions shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Abtech Holdings has a beta of -3.7, meaning that its stock price is 470% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Advanced Emissions Solutions has a beta of 2.85, meaning that its stock price is 185% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations for Abtech Holdings and Advanced Emissions Solutions, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Advanced Emissions Solutions beats Abtech Holdings on 10 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

Abtech Holdings Company Profile

Abtech Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, AbTech Industries, Inc. (AbTech Industries), provides solutions to water contamination issues that are caused by stormwater runoff, industrial processes, water produced in the extractive industries, such as oil and gas drilling, and spills of oil-based fluids in marine environments. The Company operates through the filtration and treatment of polluted water segment. It provides services for the design and selection of water treatment systems, products sales of filtration and treatment systems, installation of the treatment technologies and maintenance of the installed systems. These activities are provided through subcontractors and on some projects the Company may act as a subcontractor to other entities. AbTech Industries has developed a range of products that leverage its cornerstone filtration media technology called Smart Sponge. The technology can be used as a filtration media to remove hydrocarbons and other pollutants from water.

Advanced Emissions Solutions Company Profile

ADA-ES, Inc. (ADA) develops, offers, and implements environmental technologies and provides equipment and specialty chemicals that enable coal-fueled power plants to meet emissions regulations by enhancing existing air pollution control equipment. ADA’s wholly owned subsidiaries include Advanced Emissions Solutions, Inc., ADA Intellectual Property, LLC and ADA Environmental Solutions, LLC. ADA holds a 42.5% controlling interest in Clean Coal Solutions, LLC. It operates in three segments: Refined coal (RC), Emission control (EC) and CO2 capture (CC). ADA is a supplier of mercury control equipment and services to the EC markets. It also offers dry sorbent injection systems (DSI) to control SO2 and acid gases. Products, such as the Company’s CyCleanTM and M-45TM technologies, its pre-combustion coal treatment processes that provide electric power generators mercury emission control. In September 2012, it acquired the assets of Bulk Conveyor Specialist Inc. and Bulk Conveyor Services, Inc.